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Alexander Kaarls’ practice focuses on corporate and securities laws, with a particular focus on cross-border mergers, acquisitions and capital markets transactions. He also regularly advises clients on corporate governance, joint venture, securities laws compliance, and general cross-border matters. Alexander has been ranked as the Netherlands’ ‘leading M&A lawyer’ by the predominant Dutch M&A website and database OverFusies several times (based on total deal value).

Alexander has authored and co-authored articles published in, among others, the International Financial Law Review, the International Comparative Legal Guide to Mergers & Acquisitions, the International Law Practicum, the European Lawyer, Advocatenblad (the Netherlands Bar periodical) and Maandblad voor Vermogensrecht (a leading Dutch periodical on contract law).

Alexander is a member of the Netherlands Bar (since 1993) and the California Bar (since 2002). He joined Houthoff in 2004, after spending ten years practicing with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in London, Brussels and Palo Alto (California).

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

Law (Leiden University)

Houthoff advised Nobia on the acquisition of Bribus Holding B.V., a Dutch kitchen supplier with annual sales of approximately EUR 65 million. Bribus was founded 90 years ago and is acquired from Bernhard ten Brinke, who remains in the company.

Houthoff, together with Dentons UK, advised and assisted Vimetco N.V. in connection with the delisting of its global depositary receipts ("GDRs") that were listed on the standard segment of the official list and traded on the main market of the London Stock Exchange.

Houthoff represented the sellers of Kompas International, a provider of trust and corporate services, in their divestment of Kompas International to Praxis IFM, one of the largest independent and owner-managed financial services groups headquartered in the Channel Islands.

Houthoff represented Konecranes in the Dutch portion of the USD 1.126 billion acquisition of Material Handling & Port Solutions business of Terex Corporation.

Konecranes is a world-leading group of Lifting Businesses™, serving a broad range of customers, including manufacturing and process industries, shipyards, ports and terminals.

The acquisition allows Dassault Systèmes to strengthen its marine and offshore portfolio.

Houthoff represented Helios Investment Partners, jointly with Vinson & Elkins, on its acquisition of 100% of Fertilizers and Inputs Holding B.V. which holds Louis Dreyfus Company’s Africa-based fertilizers and inputs operations. The closing of the transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary conditions.

Houthoff advised Vitol and Helios Investment Partners with the acquisition of a 20% interest in Vivo Energy from Shell. Further to the acquisition of Shell’s 20% shareholding in Vivo Energy by Vitol Africa B.V., Helios Investment Partners, acting on behalf of the funds to which it is advisor, and Vitol jointly own 100% of Vivo Energy.

Houthoff advised VTTI B.V., a daughter company of Vitol, on a merger agreement with VTTI Energy Partners LP (VTTI). VTTI will acquire, for cash, all of the outstanding publicly held common units of the partnership, at a price of USD 19.50 per common unit for an aggregate transaction value of approximately USD 481 million. The transaction is to be effected through the merger of the partnership with a wholly owned subsidiary of VTTI B.V. The parties have entered into the definitive merger agreement on 8 May 2017. The merger is expected to close in the third quarter of 2017, and is subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions. Upon closing of the merger, the partnership will be an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of VTTI and will cease to be a publicly held partnership.

Houthoff advised Vitol on the acquisition of OMV Petrol Ofisi Holding A. Ş. (Petrol Ofisi) from OMV AG. OMV AG is an international, integrated oil and gas company based in Vienna. The acquisition was announced on 3 March 2017 and is subject to certain conditions precedent and relevant regulatory approvals. Petrol Ofisi is the market leader in fuel products and distribution in Turkey. The firm is working in tandem with Hengeler Mueller on this case.

Houthoff is advising Intel Corporation on its tender offer to acquire Mobileye N.V., which has its headquarters and main operations in Israel. Mobileye N.V. is incorporated under Dutch law and listed on the New York Stock Exchange (MBLY.N). The tender offer was announced on 13 March 2017 and valued Mobileye at USD 15.3 billion.

Scandinavian Business Seating signed agreement to acquire BMA Ergonomics BV

Scandinavian Business Seating, one of the leading office chair manufacturers in the Nordic countries and Western Europe, has signed an agreement to purchase 100% of the shares of BMA Ergonomics B.V., one of the leading Dutch seating specialists and manufacturers of swivel chairs marketed under the Axia brand in the Benelux region. With this acquisition, Scandinavian Business seating will form the largest player within ergonomic office seating in the Benelux and it will strengthen its market position in other European countries.

Cloetta, a leading confectionery company listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm, acquires Lonka of The Netherlands. Cloetta has signed an agreement to acquire Locawo B.V. (Lonka) – a Dutch company producing and selling fudge, nougat and chocolate. Cloetta has agreed to acquire 100% of the shares of Locawo B.V. The purchase price amounts to SEK 295m in cash. Lonka’s sales amounted to about SEK 300m in 2014 with the Netherlands being the core market, accounting for about half of the sales. The acquisition will significantly strengthen Cloetta’s position in the Netherlands

Houthoff advised Cloetta.

Houthoff represented Hearst Corporation and its Dutch subsidiary Hearst Netherlands, publisher of among others, Quote, Esquire, Elle , Harper's Bazaar and Cosmopolitan, in the acquisition of the publisher of the Dutch editions of , among others, Vogue, Glamour, National Geographic, Quest and JAN.

Assisting Elliott in inquiry proceedings at the Enterprise Chamber against the paints and chemical group AkzoNobel. Elliott is one of AkzoNobel’s largest shareholders, with an interest in AkzoNobel of more than 5%.

Advised Apollo Global Management, the leading private equity house, on the acquisition of the debt of the Netherlands based, internationally leading TV production firm Endemol, as well as on the subsequent debt-for-equity transaction, and on the combination of Endemol with 21st Century Fox’s TV production assets, and subsequent transactional matters.

Advised Atlas Holdings LLC and Motus Integrated Technologies on the acquisition of the European and US automotive headliner and sun visor business of Johnson Controls.

Advising LetterOne, a group of Russian investors led by Mikhail Fridman, in its $5.81 billion acquisition of RWE AG's oil and gas unit Dea.

Houthoff advised Atlas Holdings LLC in connection with the formation of the Aludium Group, based on the acquisition of Alcoa's rolling mills (and R&D facility) in Spain and France.

Houthoff represented Colfax in the USD 860 million sale of the Dutch portion of its fluid handling business to CIRCOR International, Inc.

The client is a leading diversified industrial technology company that provides gas- and fluid-handling and fabrication technology products and services to customers around the world under the brands, Howden, Colfax Fluid Handling and ESAB.

Represented Mr. Piero Ferrari, jointly with Pedersoli e Associati, in relation to the Initial Public Offering of Ferrari N.V. This is probably the most anticipated IPO of 2015. Ferrari officially priced its initial public offering at $52 a share, after the market closed on Tuesday. The price is at the top of the previously indicated range of $48 to $52 per share and gives Ferrari a market capitalization of around $9.8 billion. As part of the planned IPO, the carmaker is floating about 17.18 million shares to the public (subject to a further option), representing about 9 percent of the company. The proceeds of the offering amount to nearly $900 million.

Houthoff represented Vitol and Helios Investment Partners, jointly with Vinson & Elkins on its acquisition of Shell’s 20% shareholding in Amsterdam-baesd Vivo Energy for USD 250m. On completion, Vivo will be owned 100% by Vitol and Helios, although Vivo will continue to operate under the Shell brand.

Houthoff, jointly with Skadden, represented TMF and the sellers in relation to both the proposed IPO on the London Stock Exchange and the eventual sale of the entire issued share capital of TMF Group to funds advised by CVC Capital Partners. The enterprise value of the transaction is EUR 1.75 billion, and the transaction is scheduled to close during the first half of 2018 subject to receipt of customary regulatory and competition approvals. Given the sale to CVC Capital Partners, the IPO will no longer proceed.